====== Classic Shell — Prompts and Menus ======

This page describes the menus and prompts of the **Synchronet Classic** command shell as captured live from a Synchronet v3.22 BBS in dumb-terminal mode. On an ANSI/CP437 terminal the box-drawing characters render as proper line-art (''╔═╗'' etc.); the meaning is the same.

===== Asking for the menu =====

Synchronet's Classic shell uses an //expert mode// model:

  * **Expert mode off** (default for new users — //Novice// mode): the menu of available commands is automatically redisplayed at every new command prompt.
  * **Expert mode on**: the menu is hidden until you ask. Saves screen real estate and call time once you know the keys.

You toggle expert mode in the [[user:settings:|User Settings]] menu (''X''). At any prompt, **''?''** redisplays the menu. **''/?''** does the same inside the chat module or the built-in [[user:editor:synchronet|line editor]] (where bare ''?'' is a valid character to type).

===== The Main prompt =====

The **Main prompt** is the top-level prompt of the Classic shell — where you land after logon and where most navigation and command keys are entered. It looks like this:

  * Main * 3:58:54 [1] Main [1] Notices:

The Main prompt is identified by **square brackets** ''[ ]'' surrounding the **group/sub-board number** indicators. The fields are:

  * ''* Main *'' — the prompt name
  * ''3:58:54'' — your time remaining online (or time spent online if you have a //time exemption//)
  * ''[1] Main'' — your current message **group** (number and name)
  * ''[1] Notices'' — your current **sub-board** (number and name)

==== Main Menu ====

Press ''?'' at the Main prompt:

  ** Read/Post Messages      ** Message Area Selection   ** Electronic Mail
  +--+                       +--+                        +--+
  | N| New message scan      | J| Jump to new msg area   | E| Read/Send E-mail
  | R| Read message prompt   +--+   * List sub-boards    +--+
  | L| List/View messages          /* List groups         ** Other Commands
  | V| View/Vote-in Polls      { }  # Select sub-board   +--+
  | Q| QWK packet transfer     [ ] /# Select group       | D| Default user config
  | P| Post msg /Poll /Meme                              | &| Message scan config
  | A| Post auto-message      ** Go to                   | U| User lists
  +--+                       +--+                        | I| Information
   ** Message Search         | T| File Transfer section  |/A| Change your avatar
  +--+                       | G| Text file section      |/L| Node activity
  | F| Find text in messages | C| Chat section           |^K| Ctrl-key Menu
  | S| Scan for msgs to you  | X| External programs      | O| Logoff BBS (or /O)
  +--+                       +--+                        +--+
    Anytime | Ctrl-U Who's online Ctrl-P Send private msg Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text

The boxes group the commands by purpose. ''^K'' is the [[user:ctrl_keys|Ctrl-K menu]]. Single-letter entries (''N'', ''R'', ''E''…) are typed at the prompt; entries shown as ''/A'' or ''/L'' are [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|slash commands]]; ''^K'' is //Ctrl-K//.

==== Sub-board navigation ====

The middle column is for moving between **groups** and **sub-boards** without leaving the Main prompt:

  * **''*''** — list sub-boards in your current group
  * **''/*''** — list all groups
  * **''#''** — jump to sub-board //#// (e.g. ''3'' selects sub-board 3 in current group)
  * **''/#''** — jump to group //#//
  * **''{''** / **''}''** — previous / next sub-board
  * **''[''** / **'']''** — previous / next group

(Many other shells re-bind these — these conventions are Classic's.)

===== The File Transfer prompt =====

Pressing ''T'' at the Main prompt enters the **File Transfer Section**. The prompt looks like:

  * File * 3:58:14 (1) Main (1) Synchronet:

Identified by **parentheses** ''( )'' around the **library/directory number** indicators. Fields:

  * ''* File *'' — the prompt name
  * ''3:58:14'' — time remaining
  * ''(1) Main'' — current file **library**
  * ''(1) Synchronet'' — current **directory**

==== File Transfer Menu ====

Press ''?'' at the File Transfer prompt:

  ##### List/Flag Files ####### File Area Selection ######### File Search  ######
  #                         #                         #                         #
  #  L List files in dir    # J Jump to new file area #  F Find text in descrip #
  #  N New file scan        #-------------------------#  S Search for filename  #
  #  E Extended file info   #      * List directories #                         #
  #                         #     /* List libraries   ###### Other Commands #####
  ##### Upload/Download ##### { }  # Select directory #
                            # [ ] /# Select library   #  & File scan config
     D Download file        #                         #  R Remove/edit file
     U Upload file          ########## Go to ##########  I Information
    /D Download from user   #                         #  V View file contents
    /U Upload to user       # Q Main/Message section  # /L Node activity
     Z Upload to sysop      # C Chat section          # ^K Ctrl-key menu
     B Batch/Bi-dir xfers   # T Temp dir/Archive cmds #  O Logoff BBS (or /O)
                            #                         #
    Anytime | Ctrl-U Who's online Ctrl-P Send private msg Ctrl-C Abort cmd/text

The library/directory navigation keys (''*'', ''/*'', ''#'', ''/#'', ''{}'', ''[]'') mirror the Main prompt's group/sub-board keys — same idea, applied to file libraries.

===== The Chat menu =====

Press ''C'' from the Main prompt:

  ########################
  ##          # Join a Chat #          ##
  # J Join/initiate multinode chat      #
  # P Join/start private node/node chat #
  # C Chat with Sysop: Programming in C #
  # T Talk with The Guru (AI)           #
  # F Finger (query) remote user/system #
  # R Internet Relay Chat (IRC)         #
  # I InterBBS Instant Messaging        #
  ##------------# Toggles #------------##
  # D Chat availability      state: On  #
  # A Node activity alerts   state: On  #
  # S Split-screen chat      state: On  #
  ##-----------------------------------##
  # Q Quit chat menu                    #
    Anytime: ^Users online  ^Private msg

  Chat:

The Chat prompt is its own context — ''Q'' returns to Main. The "Chat with Sysop" and "Talk with The Guru" entries vary by sysop configuration. The Chat menu itself is the [[user:chat:|Chat Section module]] (default ''chat_sec''), invoked by Classic's ''C'' binding.

===== The Information menu =====

Press ''I'' from the Main prompt:

  +-------------------------------+
  | Main Section Information Menu |
  +-##############################+######
  # Y Your statistics                  ##
  # I System information                #
  # V Synchronet version information    #
  # S Information on current sub-board  #
  ##-----------------------------------##
  # Q Quit to Main menu                 #
  #######################################

  Info:

''Y'' shows your account stats (calls, time used, uploads/downloads, etc.). ''I'' shows BBS-wide info (sysop, location, server software, hours of operation). ''V'' shows Synchronet build/version. ''S'' shows description and statistics for the current sub-board.

===== Logoff =====

''O'' from the Main or File Transfer prompt logs off (with confirmation). [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|''/O'']] logs off immediately, no confirmation.

===== See Also =====

  * [[user:shell:classic|Classic shell index]]
  * [[user:shell:classic:commands|Classic single-key command reference]]
  * [[user:shell:classic:slash_commands|Slash commands]]
  * [[user:shell:classic:files|File Transfer Section detail]]
  * [[user:ctrl_keys|Control-key commands (Ctrl-K menu)]]
  * [[user:settings:|User Settings menu]] — toggle expert/novice mode

{{tag>user shell classic menus main prompt}}